Marshall b



M. B. GARDNER.

CORSET CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I5. 1918.

1,317,698,v Patented Oct. 7,1919.

. TEE @TATES PATENT @FFIQE.

. MARSHALL B. GARDNER, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONALCORSET CORSET-CLASP,

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. *7, 1919.

Application filed April 15, 1918. Serial No. 228,525.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARsHALL B. GARD- NER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corset-Clasps; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in corset clasps and has for itsobject a construction which will so hold the stays of the corset towhich the two parts of the clasp are attached, as to prevent tilting orbucklmg of the stays, the gaping resulting therefrom and theunfastening.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as Iproceed with my specification.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary part, in front elevation, of the twofront corset stays, with the clasp parts applied, showing the two partsof the clasp in position as they appear when being engaged ordisengaged.

Fig. 2 is a transverse, sectional view of the same in the planeindicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the two parts of the claspin position when the attachment is completed.

Fig. 4 is a transverse, sectional view of the same, taken in the planeindicated by the line l4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse, sectional view of one member of the corset clasptaken in the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 illustrates amodification of one of the corset clasp members,showing the two parts of the clasp in position as they appear when beingengaged or disengaged.

Fig. 7 is a transverse, sectional view of 1 the same, in the planeindicated by the line 77 of Fig. 6. r

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 6, showing the two parts of themodified form of clasp in position when attachment is completed. Fig. 9is a transverse, sectional view of the modified form, in the planeindicated by the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the modified clasp membershown in Fig. 6, in the plane indicated by the line 10-10 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive,

A indicates a front corset stay and B a secwith a rivet shank t and atthe other end with a head 5, the lower portion of the head being quaredoff to afford a shoulder 6. The rivet shank affords means by which thestud member may be firmly attached to the corset stay or strip A.

The eyelet member 2 is attached to the corset stay or strip B by rivets7, or other suitable means, and said eyelet member 2 is a relativelythin metal plate, fashioned as shown. It is provided with alongitudinally arranged keyhole aperture therethro-ugh, comprising acomparatively large slot or hole 8 at one end and a relatively smallerand narrower one 9, at the other end,the holes 8 and 9 opening into eachother to form a keyhole shaped slot or aperture. The diameter of thepart 8 of this aperture is appreciably larger than the diameter of thehead 5 of the stud member 1. The width of the narrower opening 9 issubstantially the same as the diameterof the body portion 3 of the studmember 1.

By means of astamp mill or by other suitable mechanism, a portion of-the eyelet member 2 is raised upwardly from the outer or top face ofthe plate so as to form raised bearingor supporting surfaces 10 for theshoulder 6 of the stud head 5, there being two of such supportinghoulders 10, one on either side of the slot 9.

That portion of" the plate 2 constituting the raised part whichterminates in the shoulders 10, is cone-shaped or conical, as is clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2, thus giving great strength and rigidity to thesupporting shoulders 10. It will be observed by reference to Figs. 1 and2, also, that the portions of the late constituting this conicalor'raised sur ace on eitherside of the slot 9, are joined together atthe end of said slot 9 by an upwardly extending flange portion 11, whichfurther increases the strength and rigidity of the supporting shoulders10.

The operation of my improved clasp when constructed as described, willbe as follows: When the eyelet and stud members are attached to theirrespective stays and the stays themselves aliixed in the usual way tothe corset body, each set of clasp members, 1

and 2, may be engaged,'first one and then the other, down the length ofthe corset body. This is done by first inserting the head 5 of the studmember through the opening 8 of'the eyelet member. The stud is thendrawn either by the hand of the wearer or by the natural expansionof'the body of the wearer of the corset, throughthe keyhole aperture andtowardand between the parallel sides of the narrower slot member 9. Asthe body 3 of the stud member is thus being drawn home, to the limit ofthe movement,that is, toward the. flange 11 at the end of the opening 9,of the eyelet member,

the stud member is pressed in ail-upward direction, sufliciently toenable the shoulder 6 on the under side of the head 5 of the stud, torest upon the supporting shoulders 10, of the eyelet member'2. Inassuming this position, the edge of the head 5 of the stud member, willeasily ride upon the inclined or conical wall surfaces 12 (see Fig. 2),and then. readily slip into position on the top of theshoulders 10, asmore clearly seen in v Fig. 4:. The shoulders 10 taper away or theother, but also to prevent the corset stays from opening. Thenormaltilting'tendency' of the stud member 1, when in use, will be inthe'direction of the stay or corset strip 13, and as the pressed up orraised portions of the eyelet member 2 which constitute the supportingflcng'es 10, are higher on that:

side of the member 2 adjacent to the strip B, than on the opposite endof the member 2, the tendency to tilt is .of course instantly checkedand tilting prevented.

The slight resiliency or play necessary to have between the claspmembers is afforded by the slight inclination toward the front in thedirection away from the tilting tendency of the stud and the supportingshoulders 10.

I havestated that stantially of thesame diameter as the distance apartof the two shoulders 10, but it will be understood, of course, thatthere will be the slightest amount of lateral play between the bodymember 3 of the stud and the two sides of the slot 9.

Inpressing up the body of the eyelet memher 2 to form the shoulders 10,10, a chamber the stud body 3 is subor recess 13 will be formed on theunder side of the member 2 on either side of the slot 9. In this chamberor recess the head 9' 5v of the stud member may be accidentally orinadvertently inserted by the user' when in the act of engagingthecorset members 1 and 2. Lest the user should inadvertently believe thatthe members land 2 are'thus permanently secured and locked together," Ihave provided a means for disengaging the head 5 from said recess 13,said means consisting of rounding or sloping the under sur face 1 1 ofthe plate 2 at the forward end of said recess 13. By so doing, it willbe found that the rounded portion of the stud head-5 will almostimmediately slip along and over this rounded surface 14:, in the normalact of moving the stud 1 in the attempt to seat it home, or by thenormal and natural expansion of the'body of the user of the corset; andthus the two parts 1 and 2 will be" disengaged. The user will thus haveher attention directed to this fact and will be careful in locking thetwo, parts together, to

compress the stud 1 upwardly along the inclined surface 12 until thehead 5 rests firmly upon the supporting shoulders 10, 10.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 to 10, inclusive, I provideupturned flanges 15, 15, one on either side of the narrow slot oropening 9, each of which flanges has a sloping rear Wall 16 and somewhatdownwardly inclined supporting shoulder 17 uponiwhich shoulder the head5 of the stud member will rest. The sloping wall 16 will correspond withthe sloping side wall 12 of the first form described, and function correspondingly; while the supporting shoulder 17 will correspond'with thesupporting shoulders 10, first described, and function correspondingly-fi This modified form possesses some advan{ tages in cheapness over thatfirst described, and also eliminates the recess 13 first described. F

'It will be manifest tothose familiarwith and that when shaped andfashioned in either form illustrated, the two parts of my improvedcorset will perform the function of preventing all tilting and bucklingbetween the corset stays, and also will perthe artthat the eyelet member2 may be quickly and'cheaply manufactured, in either form described, bystamping or, otherwise,

form the additional function of preventing disengagement of the stays inthe ordinary movement of the wearer.

My clasp has the additional advantage of using stud members of thestandardized and accepted shape and height, known to the corset makersas high studs. The use of such stud members makes the engaging anddisengaging of the two parts of the clasp more readily accomplished bythe wearer than where low or short studs are employed, but with the useof high studs, tilting, buckling and disengagement become more liable.l/Vith my invention, the height of the stud member is no objectionbecause the height thereof is compensated for by the distance of thesupporting surfaces 10, 10, in the one form, and 17 17, in the otherform, from the top surface of the eyelet member 2. This distance is suchas to afford the necessary support and to cause an absolutely non-tilting, locking engagement of the eyelet mem her 2 between the top of thestay member A and the head of the stud member 1, when the two parts arebrought into juXtaposition by the user.

It will be observed more particularly by reference to Fig. 5 that therounded head 5 of the stud member follows approximately the contour ofthe conical walls of the support 10, so that in practical use there areno sharp corners or edges, but substantially one continuous surface.Thus there is nothing upon which the garments of the wearer of thecorset are liable to catch and tear.

My device is simple, cheap to manufacture and easily manipulated by theuser of a corset. It also possesses great utility.

I claim as my invention:

1. A clasp of the kind described, comprising a stud member provided witha flanged head, an eyelet member provided with a keyhole aperturetherethrough adapted to receive the stud member, raised-up integralsurfaces on the eyelet member, one on either side of the keyholeaperture intermediate its ends, said surfaces being downwardly inclinedand adapted to support the flanged head of the stud member.

2. A clasp of the kind described, comprising a stud member provided witha flanged head, an eyelet member provided with a keyhole aperturetherethrough adapted to receive the stud member, raised up, integral,

downwardly inclined surfaces on the eyelet member, one on either side ofthe keyhole aperture intermediate its ends, adapted to support theflanged head of the stud memher, and means adapted to be engaged by thehead of the stud member to guide and facilitate the movement of thelatter toward the raised support.

3. A clasp of the kind described, comprising a stud member rovided witha flanged head, an eyelet mem er provided with a keyhole aperturetherethrough adapted to receive the stud member, raised up, integral,

downwardly inclined surfaces on the eyelet member, one on either side ofthe keyhole aperture intermediate its ends, adapted to support theflanged head of the stud member, and means adapted to be engaged by thehead of the stud member to guide and facilitate the movement of thelatter toward the raised support, said means comprising an engagingsurface upwardly and outwardly inclined toward the said support.

4. A clasp of the kind described, comprising a stud member having arounded head and a flange on the under side of the head, an eyeletmember having a keyhole aperture therethrough adapted to receive thestud member, two conical wall integral surfaces formed in the eyeletmember, one on either side of the aperture and a downwardly inclinedflange supporting shoulder on each of said surfaces. 7

A clasp of the kind described, comprising a stud member having a flangedand a rounded head, an apertured eyelet member, a raised up integralflange supporting shoulder, downwardly inclined, one on each side ofsaid aperture, a recess in said eyelet member underneath said supportingshoulders, and means for disengaging the head from said recess: when thestud head is inadvertently positioned therein, comprising the roundeddownwardly and outwardly inclined surface 14: near the forward end ofsaid recess.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afliX mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of April A. D.1918.

MARSHALL B. GARDNER.

V WVitnesses: V

TAYLOR E. BROWN, BERTHA L. MAOGREGOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

